ancillary characters: Action Comics

Friday, December 7, 2012

Paul's Picks! - December 5, 2012

The reaction Morrison's Action Comics run here at the Ancillary Characters has been, well, mixed. Which is saying something since Seth and I typically jump at the chance to gush on all of your love for Grant's work on our favorite characters from the DCU (Batman and Robin anyone?). With that being said, there has just been something lacking this time around. The art has been hit or miss, and the be honest the stories have fallen short of what I've come to expect from one of his books, especially Superman. I mean, when you've got a series like All Star Superman to hold this up against, it has basically failed to come even close to the quality and spirit of what we know is possible.

That is, until issue 15. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few issues that struck a right note through this arc, but not one issue has taken my imagination and heart by the reigns in the way that this one did. From the very opening scene, I know that this must be the story that Grant has been wanting to tell. There have been little hints and tidbits dropped here and there ever since the first issue of the relaunch, and in the token Morrison way, all of those pieces are finally coming together for a story that is both epic in proportion and moving on an emotional level.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Paul's Picks! - June 7, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Alright, alright, you got me; I totally skipped out on you all last week. All joking aside, I completely forgot that I hadn't written it until around Friday, and by then I felt like there was almost no point in going on to write it. In a week with very few issues coming out to read anyhow (those darn 5th weeks get me every time), there wasn't a whole lot to choose from in the first place. However, you're just dying to know which book tickled my fancy last Wednesday, go check out our most recent episode of the AC Podcast, where you can find not only my pick, but also Seth's and Ethan's. Fun times are sure to follow.

Now that we got that awkward moment behind us, let's move on to what you're really here for: Paul's Pick from Wednesday, June 7th. The first week of the month has become one of those that always contain some A list titles, such as Action Comics and Swamp Thing, not to mention the recent addition of some new books like Earth 2. And yet, while I had my share of topnotch series to choose from this week, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed by many of these titles. Don't get me wrong, there were some good books, but no single comic jumped out as the winner of the week. I hated the thought of just picking one, as it kind of demeans what "Paul's Picks!" is all about. Therefore, I've decided to give you all another "special edition" of the column, where I will stray from my usual choice of a single title that reigns victorious by instead picking out my favorite aspects of several books. So instead of a "pick of the week," I'm gonna give my pick of the best aspects from a handful of books. Sound good? Ok, let's get to it then...

ALERT! There are probably going to be some spoilers present, so if you haven't read the book I'm discussing, skip that segment, or you just might regret it!